Heads or Tails - Scary, Spooky or Halloween

Welcome to the latest edition of Heads or Tails. This week's theme is based on the Halloween holiday. Well, I wouldn't call it a 'holiday' per se (I mean, nothing closes for it LOL). Anyway, I have lots of fun memories from childhood regarding Halloween. From church activities to trick or treating in my neighborhood. I don't have any photos scanned into my computer to show you (aaawwwwww, shucks!) so I just grabbed some from google searches.

When my brother and I were young, mom would buy us those thick plastic costumes with the thin plastic masks. You know, the one where there's only 2 small circles cut out for you to see through, tiny nose holes and a small slit for your breathing abilities. I don't know about you, but I always used to sweat inside that mask from my hot breath getting trapped. I'd get a head rush from re-breathing the carbon dioxide I breathed out and couldn't stop running my tongue through the hole LOL I have no idea who these kids are, but I think we all have these photos from our childhoods.

I remember one neighbor lady saved her pennies all year long and on Halloween, that's what she gave out. Great. She'd give us a big handful of heavy pennies. Of course, being so competative, we would always count up our pennies and see who got the most. Because she liked us best, sometimes she'd give us 2 handfuls! LOL And she lived 2 houses down from us, we'd have to carry those heavy pennies the whole rest of the way! That bag or bucket got so heavy by the time we got back home, ah, those were the days!

I also remember mom having to check everything before we could open and eat it. Chocolate was always the first to go for us! But ultimately, it was all about who got the most pieces of candy. We would lay it all out on the floor and separate by our favorite kinds and count it all up. Much like this kid has done here (again, no idea who he is, thanks google!).

These things were important you know! I still remember the feeling of disapointment when you'd climb someone's stairs with your heavy bag of candy trying not to trip over your costume which by now had somehow began to fall apart and get in your way and your face was all sweaty and your ears were cold and your hands were hurting and you'd get all the way up to the door and they would want you to perform for the candy. UGH!!! So I'd tell some sort of joke and then they would go back inside to get the bowl (hello, did you think it was Avon calling? Bring it with you!) and then they would give you some kind of candy you didn't even like! That was the worst. Or the times they would reach right next to the piece you want and grab something else. Or it's the end of the night and they are about out and there's no choice at all. Or you're going up the stairs and they turn the light out on you. Thanks.

On the other hand, we had a couple of houses in our neighborhood that always gave full sized candy bars! Or those rare occasions you were the last one they felt like dealing with, so they dumped their bowl in your bag and then turned the light out!! Too fun. I had a friend that I'd go out trick or treating with after we were far too old to be doing it. Of course she was a couple years younger than me, but still. We didn't need to be doing that. Some people were cool about it, but some were rude and tried to make us feel bad. Hello people, it's an occasion to hand out candy to kids, we don't want to every stop doing this!

I get all that, but still, I'm the lady who makes the kids tell jokes and if there are kids of varying ages at the door, I give the little kids 2 pieces and the 'too big' kids only 1. Hey, that's just me! If it wasn't for the 'dark side' of Halloween, it would be great. Of course I don't celebrate it for those reasons.

Be safe, check your candy before eating it, walk with your kids, take a flashlight, say thank you, don't be greedy or push each other down, for best results let the kids pick from your bowl and for goodness sakes turn off your porch light if you aren't participating in passing out candy!!! Just a few tips for both sides of Halloween!

Click the photo for more trick or treating safety tips!

I could tell stories of pumpkin carving, getting sliced open while pumpkin carving or even stories about people who would enact frightening bloody senarios as you would come up to their house just to frighten the wee wee out of you, but I think I'll wrap it up with a simple Happy Halloween all!!!